Meaningful lyrics and unadulterated action. Ashok Kumar looked so handsome.Originally posted by: LizzieBennet
Kismet (1943) released during the Second World War is still the biggest Pre-partition hit from Hindi cinema. I’m surprised given the heavy amount of censoring this song managed to make it past the British censors! Kavi Pradeep cleverly threw the Germans and Japanese under the bus making the British think it’s propaganda against those countries because of world war 2 but the British soon realized the patriotic fervour behind the lyrics. There was an arrest warrant out for Kavi Pradeep who had to go undercover. Starring Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz Shanti and produced by Devika Rani’s Bombay Talkies, Kismet was considered to be a pretty bold movie for those times. Anilda’s music was a standout feature in the days when playback singing was just coming into existence. This song is sung by Amirbai Karnataki & Khan Mastana, and the chorus still rouses a fierce patriotic pride. That map of pre-partition India brings tears to my eyes! What could’ve been!
Your mention of the map reminded me, where can we find our current map?
Cheers..